


End of the World

by sunlightdances (glowinghorizons)



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alien Invasion, Angst with a Happy Ending, End of the World, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Meet-Cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-04
Updated: 2019-02-04
Packaged: 2019-10-22 07:47:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,892
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17658836
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/glowinghorizons/pseuds/sunlightdances
Summary: It’s the end of the world. You’re craving a human connection, and discover that the Winter Soldier has a more open heart than people give him credit for.





	End of the World

**Author's Note:**

> The rating is for a bit of swearing + descriptions of panic attacks and general end-of-the-world angst.

Horns are blaring on the streets as bumper to bumper traffic struggles to get out of Manhattan.

 _What’s the point_ , you think bitterly, your mind an endless loop of panic and resignation. The world is ending. Another alien attack, and no sign of help in sight. People were buzzing about seeing Captain America on the subway, but what the hell would he have been doing down there?

You press your phone to your ear one more time, trying to get through to your parents. It’s hopeless, you know, but you can’t help but try. The line goes dead. You sigh, feeling tears build up behind your eyes.

Suddenly, a hand grabs your shoulder, and you bite back a scream, whirling around, ready to throw a punch.

“Wait!”

It’s— you’re starting to think the world already ended, because it’s  _The Winter Soldier_ standing in front of you, blue eyes blazing with urgency and— you don’t know what else. Panic, you guess.

“Wait, sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.”

A disbelieving laugh bubbles out of you, “ _Startle_ me?!”

“You need to get inside. Anywhere. Find shelter.”

“What the fuck are you  _doing_  down here?” You ask, gesturing around you. “The world is ending and you’re— trying to make sure people are inside when they go up in flames?”

“You need to get off the street.” He says quietly, meeting your eyes. “This isn’t the end. But it could be if you don’t find somewhere safe.”

“Bucky!” A voice shouts and you both look up, seeing a man with sandy blonde hair perched on the roof of the building in front of you. “Time’s up. Gotta move.”

“We have these comms for a reason,” Bucky mutters to himself. “Come on,” he says, dragging you by your elbow into the empty bank building. There’s a few people inside, huddled in a corner, and they look up with wide eyes before scattering at the sight of Bucky Barnes. He rolls his eyes.

“What’s the difference between being in here or out there?” You ask, ripping your arm from his grasp. “We’re all going to die anyway.”

His eyes narrow a tiny bit. “You’re not going to die.”

“This is worse than last time,” you point out. This battle has been going on for nearly a week, the invasion having started even before that. “You and your friends can’t stop it.”

“You’re panicking.” He points out, cocking an eyebrow. He looks around you, out into the street, like he’s looking for someone.

“No shit!” You laugh, almost hysterically. “How is this happening. I’m— oh god, I don’t want to die.” You feel your breath start to speed up, but you can’t calm down. “I don’t want to die, but I can’t do anything about it, and I’m not even going to die at home with my family! I’m going to die here in some credit union with The Winter  _fucking_  Soldier—“

Bucky is saying something to you, but in your blind panic, you don’t hear any of it.

You also don’t see the look of determination that crosses his face, or the deep breath he takes right before he leans in and kisses you,  _hard_.

To say you’re shocked is an understatement. You freeze against him, your breath feeling bottled up inside your throat, but his touch softens just a fraction, and it’s like warmth starts seeping into your veins. You practically melt against him, your shaky breath leaving you on a soft sigh, and a shiver runs up your spine at the feeling of his hand gently pressing against the small of your back.

You feel as if you were meant to be kissing Bucky Barnes for all of eternity.

He makes a soft noise, something like surprise tinged with satisfaction, and it makes you want to cling to him and never let go.

The floor shakes under your feet, quite literally, and the two of you break apart with a start. He runs a hand through his hair, looking at you sheepishly, though his steel blue eyes are laser-focused on you.

“You were freaking out.” He says with a shrug, and you can’t help it - you laugh. A loud laugh that has you gripping your sides.

He smiles at you, but just for a half second before his fingers go to the comms device in his ear again, his face smoothing back into seriousness. “Sorry. I have to go. I– I shouldn’t have done that.”

You’re still a little speechless, so you just shrug. “… ‘m not really complaining.”

He grins. “You’re going to be fine. It’s all going to be fine. You’ll see.”

“Don’t you have to go save the world, or something?”

He takes a few steps backwards, eyes still on you. “Find somewhere safe. Don’t come out until someone comes to get you.”

“No one knows I’m here!”

“I do,” he replies with a wink, and then he’s gone, back out onto the nearly empty street.

“What the  _fuck_.” You say to yourself, but you end up doing what he says. The bank of the bank near the vault seems safe enough, you think, and despite the panic wanting to rise up in you again, you think of Bucky Barnes smile and the way he touched you, and you try to stay calm.

.

.

.

You’re in there for almost an entire day, you think. You’re feeling panicky again, ready to just give up and go outside to see what’s happened and accept your fate, but there’s the sound of footsteps nearby that stop you.

You never thought about it before, but you think hiding out in a bank was probably the stupidest idea. If anyone else survived, where else would they go to try to loot?

“… down here, if she actually listened to me, instead of–” a familiar voice says, and when you hear him, relief shoots through your veins.

You come out of your hiding spot, hands on your hips. “Who tells someone to hide in a  _bank_  when the world is ending? You just– and I  _listened to you_ , even though this is the dumbest place–”

“That’s her.” Bucky says, cutting you off, the grin on his face nearly a mile wide.

“I like her.” The man next to him says, coming forward to shake your hand. “Sam Wilson,” he says, and you just stare at him until Bucky gets your attention.

“Told you you’d be fine,”

“Now’s really not the time to be smug–”

“Actually, I think it’s the  _perfect_  time–”

“While you two keep flirting, I’m going to go…. Somewhere else.” Sam says, and you blush, avoiding looking at Bucky at all, because he’s just– you’re remembering how badly you panicked the last time you saw him, and you didn’t have time to be embarrassed because you thought the world was going to end.

But now–

He takes a step closer, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “You lived,” he says.

You barely restrain yourself from rolling your eyes. “So did you.”

“You know, I never got your name.”

“Why did you come back for me?” You ask, ignoring his non-question.

He blinks. “I told you I would.”

“What– what happened out there?” You ask, your brain going rapid-fire. “Oh, god. I need to call my parents. I don’t–”

“You’re freaking out again.” He says, and when you look up, he’s even closer than you remember, those blue eyes pinning you in place. His hand is hovering next to your waist like he wants to touch you, but isn’t sure if he’s allowed.

The world almost ended. You’re feeling a little bold. “Guess you better shut me up,” you say flippantly, and he laughs. You decide it’s quickly becoming your favorite sound.

When he kisses you this time, it’s not a thing born out of desperation and panic. It’s slow and sweet, like he’s savoring the feeling of his lips pressed to yours and his body pressed up against yours, and all the little sounds he’s able to draw out of you.

“Thanks,” you whisper when you break away to get some air.

“Anytime, really.” He says, sounding cocky, and you decide that just won’t do.

You plant a kiss on him to rival the one he laid on you, and feel gratified when you feel his metal hand sink into your hair to tug slightly, a groan escaping his lips as they part against yours.

“Ahem,” a voice clearing breaks the two of you apart with a start, and you’re glad he’s still partially holding you up, because getting caught making out by Captain America normally would make you melt into the floor until you disappeared entirely. “Sorry to interrupt,” he says, his voice tinged with amusement, “But we’ve got a lot of debriefing to do. Cell service is out, mostly,” he says, looking at you, “But we’ve got the jet and we can drop you somewhere if you need to check in on anyone.”

He smiles and then heads back out the way he came, leaving you groaning in embarrassment against Bucky’s shoulder.

“Your parents,” he murmurs, and you nod in agreement.

“Yeah.” After a few seconds, you smile at him. “Y/N. My name, since you asked for it.”

He  _beams_  at you. “Bucky. James. Whatever you want to call me, honestly.”

You blush again. “God, there were  _aliens_  here, and you’re still– incorrigible.”

He shrugs. “Comes with the job description. I’m used to it.” He takes a step back from you. “I gotta go. And so do you.”

You frown.

“But–” he continues, “Let me know when you’re back in the city.”

“How am I supposed to do that?” You ask, and he grins.

“Big tower. It’s got an “A” on it. You can find me there.”

You snort, rolling your eyes. “You’re awful cocky, you know. What makes you so sure I’m going to look you up when I get back?”

“Because I stopped you from having a panic attack in the middle of an alien invasion. I figure that at least guarantees me a pizza date.”

The team drops you off at your parents’ place. They’re fine. The world is– mostly fine. Struggling to deal with the aftermath, but the people you love are okay, and you know you will be too.

You can’t really stop thinking about a certain blue-eyed super soldier, and so when you finally come back to New York, after the trains are running again, and after things are sort of back to normal, you show up at the famous Avengers Tower, wringing your hands together with nerves.

A  _ding_  from a nearby elevator makes you look up, and the smile on his face wipes out all your previous worries.

“I was starting to think you’d forgotten about me,” he says as he gets closer, his strides sure as he walks towards you, “And I didn’t want to assume anything, but I thought despite the circumstances, we really hit it off, but–”

You cut him off by meeting him halfway, taking his face in your hands and pressing your lips to his. The sigh he lets out is music to your ears, and his arms go around your waist instantly, pulling you as close as you can get.

“You were freaking out,” you whisper afterwards, and his laugh rings out around you, settling into your bones.


End file.
